Holiday Beauty Looks You Can Do In 5 Minutes or Less

Easy, breezy, beautiful you.

It’s hard to believe that the holiday season has arrived, and with it comes a slew of parties, family get-togethers, and social events that all require you to put your best face forward. But don’t let that stress you out—we’ve got the four holiday party looks you need this season, and bonus points: each will only take five minutes to pull together, so whether you’re heading to the office holiday Christmas party or your best friend’s New Year’s Day brunch, we’ve got you covered.

(And see our go-to hair guide for the easiest, chicest looks for every type of hair.)

Photography by AARON BENGOCHEA

Green Smokey Eye The secret to this look is the smokey forest green eyeshadow, which sounds intimidating and time-consuming, but it could not be easier. Chantecaille’s National Artistry Ambassador Eddie Hernandez used Chantecaille Save the Forest Eye Palette for this quick, bold look on yours truly.

First, use a champagne-colored eyeshadow as the base to prime and brighten eyes (“mist” if you’re using the Save the Forest palette). “It illuminates the eyes and is super flattering for daytime,” says Hernandez. Lightly use a medium golden brown shade on the lid from the lashline to the crease (“dawn” in the palette). Then follow up with the showstopper, the shimmery green shade (“bamboo” in the palette). “It’s not a stark green; it’s almost taupe-ish with a sheen of green. Blend the shade from lashline to crease.”

Pro tip: A nude liner, like the Brightening Eye Kajal in Nude applied along the waterline of the bottom lashes really brightens and opens up eyes, and even makes dark circles less noticeable.

This palette may be an investment in price, but a percentage of proceeds goes to the Rainforest Alliance to protect the place that inspired the colors: the lush Virunga National Park in the Congo and Rwanda, home to the last remaining mountain gorillas on the planet.

Berry Lip and Olive Liner Take the olives and berries off the dinner plate, and onto your makeup palette with a “confident eyeliner and an easy to wear lip, that takes 30 seconds to apply.”

Using the same Save the Forest Eye Palette, Hernandez used a medium brown shade (“dawn” in the palette) on the eyelids between lashes and the crease. This is going to really draw in the eyes for the bold green liner. For the liner, you want a solid, saturated line. Using that shimmery, green shade (“bamboo”), draw a bold line along the top lash line with a slim eyeliner brush (just a little flick at the end of the eyes, but don’t extend or wing it). The color has pearl in it, so it’s attracting light every time you move your eyes.

The lip looks like it takes time and precision, but it’s basically like swiping on chapstick. It’s a blurred lip, meaning it’s more saturated in the middle of the lip and then blends out. Just simply put a bold berry shade in the center of lips, and rub lips together to blend out. Chantecaille Lip Chic in Violetta is perfect for this because the formula is creamy and easy-to-wear (but you can mimic this with most lipsticks).

Pro tip: The Cheek Gelée in Lively was used on all the women in this story. For a bit of color and glow, you can use that same peachy blush shade on your brow bone or even on your lips for a more casual look that’s still totally tied together.

Golden Eye Shimmering, eye-catching peepers in mere minutes? It’s almost too easy. “It’s honestly one of the quickest, easiest eyes because the pearls in the mix are really flattering. It does the work for you, just slide it on the lid,” says Hernandez. “The look is so attractive because is there is a lot of light coming into the eyes, so your eyes really shine.”

After buffing on foundation with a kabuki brush, use a champagne color on the eyelids to light up the eyes. Then sweep a medium brown (“dawn” in the Save the Forest Eye Palette) across the whole lid, and blend up to the crease with your fingers. It’s just a wash of color, not a ton of product. The mix of the champagne and the medium brown shades create a subtle, shimmery eye. Finish it off with an espresso-colored shade, using it to line, and then smudge between top and bottom lashes.

Pro tip: The secret to a fresh veil of makeup without feeling too heavy is mixing foundation with a couple drops of rose oil before buffing it on the face.

Cat Eye and Red Lip Who says you can’t have the best of both worlds? A bold eye and a bold lip paired smartly together can be a major wow factor.

First, use a black eyeliner pencil to get the shape of the cat eye, then follow up with a liquid, felt tip liner to make the line sharper. “If you’re not great at doing a cat eye, do it with a pencil first, get the shape, and then strengthen it with a [liquid] liner,” says Hernandez.

He also suggests keeping your just-used foundation brush handy, as you can swipe it along the liner line to sharpen, and erase errors easily. As far as the angle of your flick, Hernandez says there is no wrong way to go about it: “The more modern way is outward, and the more classic way is to have the wing more upturned towards your brows.” But both are gorgeous.

For a bit more depth and dimension, you can even add in a bit of a deeper brown (like “volcano” in the Save the Forest Eye Palette) for a shadow in the corner of the eyes, which gives an added extension to the eye.

For the luxe red lip, swipe on an easy-to-use liquid lipstick, like Matte Chic in Carmen. For more precision, Hernandez uses a lip liner on top of the lipstick so you can get the perfect edge around your lips.

Pro tip: Hernandez dips the lip liner in a bit of the lip color, so it’s slightly on the liner. This makes the liner easier to use, and the line more natural.